During the final stage of the Brazilian Volleyball Championship, Nyeme entered the court with something different on her jersey – a pad around her name, symbolising she was playing while menstruating.
Nyeme was part of a campaign by FCB Brasil for Kimberly-Clark feminine care brand, Intimus, to encourage young girls not to give up sports for being ashamed of their periods. Seven out of ten teenage girls stop playing sports when menstruating and a lot of them never go back. The reason? Embarrassment, fear of leaks, or menstrual pain*.
Intimus’ goal is to encouraging women’s progress so the brand has become the first sponsor to partner up only with athletes who enter the court while menstruating. The action aims to drive visibility and stir the conversation about stigmas surrounding physical activities and menstruation while inspiring girls who feel well during their periods to stay in sports.
During the Gerdau Minas volleyball match on April 10, player Nyeme, 2019 Paulista Champion, 2021 League of Nations Vice-Champion, 2022 World Championship Vice-Champion, and two-time Brazil Cup Champion (2022 and 2023), entered the court wearing a personalised jersey that featured her name on a feminine pad, along with the Intimus logo. In a post-match interview, she said, “Shame of menstruation must never keep anyone from practising sports. Because, on our periods or not, we can achieve many things, even win championships.”
The campaign, Playing with Intimus, also includes activations on SporTV and on social networks.
“Every woman deals with her cycle in her own way; some feel pain and are indisposed for physical activity during that period. But if you’re feeling well, without pain, and have access to feminine pads, training and competing while menstruating is no big deal. And the more we normalize this, the more girls will stay in sports. We believe that menstruating cannot keep people from being and doing what they want,” stated Marisa Cury Cazassa, Kimberly Clark executive marketing manager for Brazil.
Curated by advertising agency PROS, the topic was amplified on social media by Olympic athletes such as Jaqueline Carvalho and Flavia Saraiva, and also by Victoria Albuquerque, who proudly plays for one of the biggest soccer teams in Brazil.
* Tackling Teenage Disengagement by Women in Sport
Credits:
Client: Kimberly-Clark (Intimus)
Client Team: Anne Reder, Cezar Gomez, Marisa Cazassa, Sabrina Titto & Ronaldo Art
Strategy, Creative & Production Agency: FCB Brasil
Agency Team: Ana Becker, Anna Strohm, Anna Martha Silveira, Bibiana Saldanha, Camila Galdêncio, Carolina Eusébio, Carolina Ferreira, Daniela Fonseca, Eduardo Gardini, Fabio Freitas, Fabiola Toschi, Fernanda Geraldini, Heloísa Ribeiro, Isabela Panico, Iuellen Souza, Jaqueline Camargo, João Albertini, Leticia Rodrigues, Leonardo Konjedic, Mateus Madureira, Marcella Huche, Mariana Teixeira, Pedro Araujo, Pedro Lazzuri, Renata Reigota, Ricardo John & Roberto Ulhoa
Production Company: KAUS
Director: Martina Quezado
Assistant Director: Julia Oliveira Takamori
Production Coordinator: Rodrigo Trindade Netto
Post-Production Coordinator: Carolina Ferreira
Assembly & Post-production: FCB Studio
Illustration & Animation: FCB Studio
Motion Graphics & Animation: FCB Studio
Pros: Ana Carolina Basilio, Liliane Cavalcante, Manuela Guedes, Nerusa Palheta & Brenda Andrade
